Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall Salary

SOC Code: 47-2131 • Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024

Median Salary
$48,680
Mean Salary
$53,440
Employment
38,610
Entry Level (10th %ile)
$35,950
Top Earners (90th %ile)
$77,160

Pay Range Distribution

10th percentile
$35,950 25th percentile
$40,270 Median (50th)
$48,680 75th percentile
$60,420 90th percentile
$77,160

Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall Salary by State

StateMedianMeanEmploymentEntry (10th)Top (90th)
New York$63,500$78,7901,890$45,820$145,620
Oregon$62,830$66,740680$34,640$114,100
Nevada$61,920$64,720300$37,700$104,710
Mississippi$60,930$53,130390$34,960$61,310
Maryland$58,870$61,440890$40,490$90,070
Maine$58,750$55,390360$39,000$69,930
Massachusetts$57,150$60,200830$40,970$89,630
Ohio$56,640$58,3201,290$37,370$78,070
Minnesota$56,050$61,2101,120$46,740$86,870
New Jersey$55,770$66,1001,060$39,210$114,980
Wisconsin$54,640$57,350530$37,860$92,600
Vermont$52,000$52,47080$42,570$63,380
Indiana$50,510$53,740830$36,950$74,740
Louisiana$50,040$53,6901,150$39,130$65,480
North Dakota$49,860$51,080240$38,180$62,640
Illinois$49,840$60,1901,060$37,500$109,360
Montana$49,770$57,420510$34,940$90,200
Washington$49,760$54,9701,070$38,080$73,910
Missouri$49,720$52,510850$36,150$69,680
Pennsylvania$49,100$55,620660$35,310$87,410
Connecticut$48,980$53,420310$37,390$82,230
Iowa$48,960$53,200340$37,370$72,660
Colorado$48,630$50,980980$37,910$64,910
Florida$48,350$48,5101,910$37,630$59,990
Utah$48,330$46,760350$37,740$56,880
Texas$48,010$47,9205,830$32,680$60,920
Wyoming$47,700$49,360180$37,210$68,410
Arizona$47,570$49,020660$35,240$66,940
Alabama$47,260$47,410780$31,850$64,520
Kansas$46,710$47,930460$37,650$59,780
Delaware$46,700$49,960N/A$37,070$64,520
Georgia$45,900$47,440750$32,060$62,790
South Carolina$45,880$45,770420$21,470$66,520
Oklahoma$45,730$45,580790$34,300$61,050
Michigan$45,700$48,060740$34,210$64,770
Kentucky$45,340$51,580530$36,600$85,990
Arkansas$45,220$47,350340$35,130$57,010
Tennessee$45,170$46,1201,460$30,510$62,370
North Carolina$45,150$45,8601,280$30,200$61,830
California$44,620$51,4502,190$36,960$78,420
Nebraska$44,560$48,040220$38,210$66,890
Virginia$44,290$46,440N/A$34,520$60,220
New Mexico$42,740$49,390260$35,260$80,510
New Hampshire$42,390$45,090140$36,610$57,830
Idaho$41,340$49,260370$32,060$62,310
Alaska$40,330$43,760110$24,400$82,420
South Dakota$40,190$42,540250$34,750$55,180
West Virginia$37,780$42,630100$34,040$58,530

Highest Paying Metro Areas

Metro AreaMedianMeanEmployment
Medford, OR$65,830$82,88060
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$65,330$79,36060
Columbus, OH$65,100$62,630480
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$64,510$79,0801,950
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$63,660$61,220440
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY$63,040$71,800110
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA$60,270$58,12070
Kennewick-Richland, WA$58,960$58,20090
New Haven, CT$58,770$65,98060
Baton Rouge, LA$58,260$56,540730
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$57,390$60,900150
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$57,150$60,070460
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN$56,640$59,560210
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$56,590$62,380880
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN$56,520$56,440270
Syracuse, NY$55,580$65,47070
Barnstable Town, MA$54,960$55,55050
Rochester, NY$54,070$62,750120
New Orleans-Metairie, LA$53,460$50,22090
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$53,350$61,440830

About Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall Salary Data

This data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The median salary represents the midpoint — half of insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and walls earn more and half earn less. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay, while the 90th percentile represents the highest earners in this occupation. Employment counts represent estimated total jobs in May 2024.

Understanding Salary Percentiles

Salary percentiles show how wages are distributed across workers in this occupation. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay — only 10% earn less. The median (50th percentile) is the true midpoint of all wages. The 90th percentile reflects top earners, typically in senior roles or high-cost metro areas. A wide gap between the 10th and 90th percentiles indicates that experience, location, and specialization significantly affect pay.

Factors That Affect Pay

Several factors influence salary for this occupation. Location is one of the biggest — the same job can pay 50% more in a high-cost metro area like San Francisco or New York compared to a rural area. Experience matters significantly; workers at the 90th percentile typically have 10-20+ years in the field. Industry also plays a role — the same occupation often pays differently in finance, technology, healthcare, or government. Education and certifications can boost pay, especially in fields that require advanced degrees or specialized licenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between median and mean salary?

The median is the midpoint — half earn more, half earn less. The mean (average) is the total of all salaries divided by the number of workers. The median is generally more useful because it is not skewed by a small number of extremely high earners.

Do these figures include bonuses and benefits?

No. BLS OEWS data measures base wages and salaries only. It does not include bonuses, commissions, tips, overtime, stock options, health insurance, retirement contributions, or other benefits. Total compensation may be 20-40% higher than base salary.

How reliable is this data?

The BLS OEWS survey covers approximately 1.1 million business establishments across the U.S. and uses rigorous statistical sampling methods. It is considered one of the most reliable sources of occupational wage data available. Self-employed workers and certain agricultural positions are not included.

How often is this data updated?

The BLS publishes new OEWS data annually, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period. This page shows May 2024 data, the most recent release.